Protector from fires.



Nb. 718,782. PATENTBD JAN. 20, 1903.

' M MURRY. Y

PROTECTOR FROM FIRES.

7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1902. K0 MODEL.

lNVE I? V ATTOBNE W/TNESSES:

7H2 NORRIS PETERS cu wmoumm WASHINGTON. n. c.

NITE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

MICKEL MURRY, OF MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

PROTECTOR FROM FIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 718,782, dated January 20, 1 903.

Application filed June 5,1902. Serial No. 110,32 L- (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MIOKEL MURRY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Morristown, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Protector from Fires, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a device for protecting houses from fires, particularly suburban houses, although of course the invention is useful in cities, as will be apparent hereinafter.

By means of this invention I have sought to produce a protector which may be operated with very little labor and instantly upon discovering a fire and by means of which the fire will be hampered, if not completely excarries the tank or spray device, and Fig, 4

is a plan view of the closure for the chimneytop.

Fastened to the roof of the building at the sides of the chimney, which is indicated at in the drawings, are four legs, two designated 11 and two designated 12, these legs being arranged in pairs, the members of which are opposite each other, and the legs 11 being fastened to lugs 14 on the table 15,

while the legs 12 project up alongside of this table and are fastened to the sides of a spray tank or reservoir 16, which latter is mounted on the table 15 and supported thereby. The spray-tank 16 is provided with a number of relatively minute nozzles 17, and a large supply-pipe 18 leads to the spray-tank 16. The pipe 18 is to be provided with a valve, (not shown,) and this valve is to be manually operated when the fire occurs, so that the roof of the building will be covered with water. This not only tends to extinguish the fire, but it also prevents the roof from becoming so hot that the firemen cannot work thereon. The pipe 18 is connected with the water-main or other source of supply.

- Mounted to slide on the legs 11 is a closureplate 19 for the chimney. This plate 19 is perforated in its center, and through this perforation a stationary pin 20 extends. The pin 20 is carried rigidly by the table 15 and projects downward therefrom and serves not only to guide the plate 19, but tocarry an expansive spring 21, which tends to throw this plate downward.

22 indicates a latch for holding the plate 19 in upper position. This latch 22 is adapted to be held in operative position by a cord or other connection 23, which extends down in convenient reach of persons within the house, said cord being adapted to be fastened at its lower end when the device is inactive.

24 indicates a spring tending to throw the latch 22 into inactive position. When a fire occurs, the cord 23 should be released, and the spring 24: thereupon moves the latch 22 into released position. This allows the plate 19 to drop into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this position the plate 19 covers and effectually closes the upper endof the chimney. I have found that fires in buildings are greatly increased in intensity by the downdraftin the chimneys, and by means of this invention immediately upon releasing the cord 23 the chimney is closed, so that downdraft is prevented, and thus the fire is partly, if not wholly, smothered.

25 indicates two terminals of an electric circuit, in which circuit is included an alarm apparatus extending to the fire department, and a contact 26 is carried on the latch 22, the arrangement being such that when the latch is thrown up into the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l the terminals 25 will be connected and the circuit will be completed, thus operating the alarm or other signal above referred to.

As soon as a fire breaks out the cord 23 should be pulled, thus dropping the plate 19 and sending in the alarm, and then by opening the valve in the pipe 18 the roof may be flooded, as above explained.

If desired, any one or series of the nozzles 17 may be provided with caps or other closures to keep the water from being sprayed on any one side. This is useful in case one side of the apparatus faces the edge of a building, and of course it will be unnecessary to send the water-jets over the edge or side of the house.

Various changes in the form and details of my invention may be resorted to at will without departing from the spirit of my invention. Hence I consider myself entitled to all forms of the invention as may lie within the intent of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A protector from fires, comprising a table suitably supported and located above the mouth of a chimney, a spray-tank mounted on the table, a closure-plate mounted to slide between the table and the chimney-mouth, and a springlocated between the closure-plate and the table.

2. A protector from fires, comprising a support located above the mouth of a chimney, a closureplate located between the support and the chimney-mouth and arranged to move toward and from the chimney-mouth, an expansion-spring located between the said support and the closure-plate, and serving to positively force the closure-plate into active position, and means for releasably holding the closure-plate in inactive position.

3. A protector from fires, comprising a support located above the mouth of a chimney, a closure-plate having vertical guided movement toward and from the chimney-mouth, a restraining device for releasably holding the closure-plate in the raised or inactive position, a pin depending from the support, and arranged to extend through a perforation in the closure-plate, and a spring carried by the pin and located between the support and the plate, as set forth.

4. A protector from fires, comprising a table supported above the mouth of a chimney, a closure-plate located between the table and the chimneymouth and having vertical movement, a latch for releasably holding the closure-plate in the raised or inactive position, a spring located between the closureplate and the table and compressed when the closure plate is raised, an electric circuit comprising a contact carried on said latch, means for holding the latch in position to support the plate, and means for moving the latch when released to close the circuit.

5. A protector from fires comprising a framework consisting of pairs of legs suitably supported, a table arranged above the mouth of a chimney and supported by said legs, a spray tank mounted on the table and to which the upper projecting ends of a pair of said legs are secured, the said tank being provided with a series of relatively minute nozzles projecting from the surface thereof, and

a relatively large supply-pipe leading to the upper end of the spray-tank and a movable closure-plate located between the table and the chimney-mouth.

6. A protector from fires, comprising legs arranged in pairs, the members of each pair being opposite each other, a table secured to one pair of said legs and located above the mouth of a chimney, a spray-tank mounted on said table and secured to the other pair of legs, and a closure-plate located between the table and the chimney-mouth and mounted to slide on the first-mentioned pair of legs, as set forth.

7. A protector from fires, comprising a closure plate movable toward and from the mouth of a chimney, a latch fulcrumed near its inner end, the said end of the latch being arranged to engage the plate to hold it in an upper position, means connected with the outer end of the latch for holding the latch in operative position to support the plate, and a spring engaging the latch between the outer end and the fulcrum and adapted to throw the latch when released into inactive position to permit the plate to drop.

8. .A protector from fires, comprising a closure-plate having guided movement toward and from the mouth of a chimney, a latch for holding the plate in an upper position, means for releasably holding the latch in position to supportthe plate, a spring engaging the latch to move the same when released to permit the plate to drop, an electric circuit, and a contact carried by said latch to close the circuit, when the said latch is moved to permit the plate to drop.

9. A protector from fires comprising legs arranged in pairs and secured to the roof of a building at the sides of a chimney, the members of each pair being opposite each other, a table secured at opposite sides to one pair of said legs and supported by the other pair of legs, a closure-plate mounted to slide on the first-mentioned pair of said legs, between the said table and the mouth of the chimney, means for releasably holding the closureplate in an upper position, a pin carried by the table and projecting downward therefrom, the said pin being arranged to extend through a perforation in the closure-plate and an expansion-sprin g carried bysaid pin and located between the said plate and the table, as set forth.

10. A protector from fires, comprising a table located above the mouth of a chimney, legs arranged in pairs and supporting said table, a closure-plate located between the table and the chimney-mouth and mounted to slide on a pair of said legs, one of the legs of the other pair having a slot therein, a latch pivoted near one end in said slot and adapted to engage the closure-plate to hold it in an upper position, and means for operating the latch.

11. A protector from fires comprising a table located above the mouth of a chimney, arranged to close the circuit when the latch legs supporting the same, a closure-plate located between the table and the chimneymonth and having sliding movement toward 5 and from the said chimney-mouth, a pivoted latch extending through a slot in one of the supporting-legs and adapted to engage the closure-plate to hold it in an upper position, and an electric circuit including a contact IO carried on said latch, the said contact being is operated to release the closure-plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MICKEL MURRY.

Witnesses:

ISAAC B. OWENS, J NO. M. BITTER. 

